Blears stands firm at Brown criticism

SALFORD MP Hazel Blears says she will not step down despite criticisms from the Prime Minister over the expenses affair. Gordon Brown attacked Ms Blears for failing to pay capital gains tax on the sale of her home, branding her actions ‘totally unacceptable’.

SALFORD MP Hazel Blears says she will not step down despite criticisms from the Prime Minister over the expenses affair.

Gordon Brown attacked Ms Blears for failing to pay capital gains tax on the sale of her home, branding her actions ‘totally unacceptable’.

The unprecedented criticism came as senior Labour figures criticised MPs for their behaviour in the expenses saga.

Ms Blears was drawn into the expenses row after it emerged she didn’t pay capital gains tax on the £45,000 profit from the sale of a London flat in 2002.

The Communities Secretary was exempt because the property was designated with the taxman as her primary residence, although it was registered as a `secondary home’ with Westminster.

Ms Blears last week announced she was handing over a cheque for more than £13,000 to the taxman.

Mr Brown took the unprecedented step of criticising the serving cabinet minister. He said: "It was totally unacceptable behaviour. I don’t support it."

The prime minister said he had personally advised Ms Blears to pay back the money.

But he added: "She has not broken the law, she has not broken the rules."

Ms Blears, speaking at the mayor-making ceremony at Salford City Council, said: "What the prime minister also said was that I had his full support and I’m doing a good job as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. I am not worried about my job."

The Salford Labour Constituency Labour Party has openly expressed its dismay at the way Ms Blears and colleagues have behaved.

It issued a statement making clear its ‘dismay and in some cases disgust at the abuse of the system by a minority of MPs’

While the statement did not name any politicians, it continued: "A Constituency Labour Party should have the right to express their confidence or otherwise in their MP and where they are not satisfied with their conduct to commence the reselection procedure."

Ms Blears said: "I have spoken to Councillor John Merry about the party’s concerns with the expenses system and he understands that I acted within the rules."